Saturday, March 18, 2006

Censorship in America--Follow the Money

Do you remember Rachel Corrie? She's the young American woman who was crushed under an Israeli bulldozer because she refused to let the Israelis run roughshod over the Palestinians. Corrie was part of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a group that recruits Westerners to act as human shields against Israeli aggression against Palestinians. Its a peaceful group and Corrie was an idealistic, loving, caring young woman who wanted to change the world peacefully. She died for that belief.

Well now there's a play about her growth as an idealist and activist, "My Name is Rachel Corrie." Alternet passes on an article that was originally printed in the Nation Magazine. It seems that the play has had two very successful runs in London but when the New York Theatre Workshop decided to run the play, it got nixed. In fact, according to the article, you can't even get the original book in the States. You have to go to Amazon UK!

So who is behind this de facto censorship? When the article writer called the board members of the Workshop he got no response. He suggests that a strong and militant Jewish faction (1/3 of the board are Jewish) has decided that this simple yet moving play is just too hot for NY. The article author, who is Jewish, makes the point that a great deal of America's Middle Eastern policy is driven and sustained by the constant Israeli assertion of vicitmization. The play turns this pr push on its head and reveals the dirty, violent underside that would cause an Israeli Army member to drive a bulldozer over a young woman in a peaceful protest.

Wouldn't it be great of a local theatre group picked up the play and produced it here? Now that would be a world class act!